Machine for laying pipes.



Q WITNESSES,

, M. H. 'K'EELER. MACHINE FOR LAYING PIPES. APPLICATION FILED\O0T.1.9,1910.

I I 22 I A [torn 2y Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

ing my in'iproveincnts.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- MORRIS 11. KEELE OF SABETHA, KANSAS! MAuHmE r03 LAYING PIPES.

'and useful Improvements in Machines for Laying Pipes; and 1 do-herehydeclare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will en-' able others skilled in the art towhieh itappertains to make and use the same.

'lhis invention relates to machines for laying pipe, the object of theinvention heing to provide a machine vwhich can he operated to push aP1I)Q,'S\1('l1 as a gas on water .pipe, throng-h the ground from oneditch or excavation to another.

\Vith this and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinaftersetforth' and pointed out in the claims.

In the acconipanving drawings, Figure 1 is a vpe as icctive view of amachine en'ihody- Fig. '2 is a transverse sectional, view, and Fiq; 3 isa detail view.'

1 represents a base on which rails or flanges '2 are located parallelwith each other and spaced apart.each of. said rails -or flanges beingprovided in its inner face with a groove 3. A longitudinally lnovahlemember 4 is mounted on the base, 1 between the flanges-2 and is guidedin the grooves in said fl anges,such construction insur- Qing theaccurate longitudinal niovementot' the member 4 and preventing the samefrom having either lateral or vertical play. The member 4 'is providedwith two rows of teeth which form rack-hars- 5 to he. engaged by gears01' pinions 6-. These pinions or gears are mounted on a shaft 7 havingbearings standard-s Fl on the flanges 2 preferably some distance removedfrom respective ends of said: flanges. 'lhe gears or p'nions (tareprovided in their inner faces with angular recesses for the reception ofsimilgaigly shaped hubs on-v ratchet. wheels 9 and; the latter areprovided in their inner tat-es with annular recesses to receive similarlv shaped: hubs on other ratchet wheels 10. The ratchet wheels aresecured togetl-ior and to the gears or pinions 6. ()ne end of a lever11. is mounted loosely on the shaft 7 between the inner ratchet wheels10 and this lever has loosely mounted thgeiem --.so as to Specificationof Letters,Patent.

the relation to their l'tltt ct wheels.

' of the. base 1 of the machine.

embracethe same, a hail 12, the. respective arms of which constitutelegs 1 to engagithe respective ratchet wheels a.

latentedd'an. 2:0, 191

ap ic tion filed October 19, 1910; Serial No.- 587,967.

.\lu-thcl' ball 12 forming dogs It is carr ed hiy the lever for engagingthe inner ratchet wheels 10.. Springs ltF are employed for the dogs.

said springs heing fixed at one cud and adapted near their free ends toengage pins 10* on the hails 12, 12, so that one pair of dog or-theother can i held out of operative relation with th ir ratchet wheelswhile the ether dogs are disposed in opcran apparent that as one pair ofdogs is in operativerelation toone-pair of ratchet wheels and theleveris operated.motion will he transmitted through the gears or pinionsand rack-bars 5 to the member -t for moving:-

the latter in one direction. The teeth of the ratchet wheel"ltlare'disposed inthe opposite directionfrom. those ot Rt-lie ratchetwheel I9, so that when the. dogs, 11 are in engagement with the ratchetwheels 10 and the dogs 13 are'out of engagement with the ratchet. wheels9. and the lever is oscillat d, the member 4 will he. movedlongitudinally in the reverse direction. 7

Located at each end of the member 4 are two standards 15 1:"). betweenwhich clamping jaws 1 6 and 17 are disposed. The

clamping jaw H5 is fixed and the clamping V jaw 17 is verticallymovable,springs 1.8 tending to move the upper jaw 17 upwardly. A cam 19is'iuounted hetween the standards 15 over the movable. clamping jaw 17and is provided with a suitahlel lever for turning itto clamp a, pipe 20bet ween the jaws. The machine is placed in a ditch or excavation andmay be anchored therein hy means of suitable spikes passed throughperforated lugs 21 on. the base 1 and driven into the ground. If desireda'hack hra a: 22 may he em doyed, -sa.id brace comprising memhers 23 tobe. driven into theside walls of the:

excavation,' an a ched n'u phcr L3 connecting: the members 23 andextending from side to side'ot the excavation so as-to permit thepassage of. the pipe underit, and rods 2t extending from thesehinlbersto one'end After the machine has been ancl iord in the ditch orexcavation, aseetion ofpipe is passed through the clamps at respective.ends of the member 4. and caused "to hrojtsct a suitahlc. distancebeyond tho forward end of the latter. The forward end of the pipe isprovided with a pointed plug 25. The

pushed into the ground forwardly of the ditch or excavation. When themember 4 shall have reached the forward end of its throw, the clamps atrespective ends of said member will be operated to release the pipe and,after shifting the dogs, the lever 11 will be again oscillated and themember 4 moved back under the pipe. The clamps will then be operated to.again secure the pipe to the member at and, after the dogs shall havebeen again shifted, the oscillation of the lever 11 will cause themember 4 to again more forwardly and the' pipe to further penetrate theground.

When it is desired to lay a lead pipe, the machine will be operated toforce an iron pipe through the ground from one cxcava-e tion to another,in the manner above explained. The pointed plug will then be removedfrom the. forward end of the rigid iron pipe and one end of a. lead pipewill be coupled thereto. The machine will then be operated haelnvardlyso as to pull the iron pipe back and thus thread the lead pipe throughthe hole made by the iron pipe.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is,---

1. In a. machine for laying pipes, the combination with a base, alongitudinally movable carriagc thereon provided with two rack bars,andwith clamping jaws for rigidly clamping a. pipe between them andrestraining it against endwise movement in either directi n withrelation to the clamp,

of a shaft mounted on the base, gear wheels on the shaft which mesh withthe rack bars, two ratchet wheels having their teeth arranged inopposite directions connected with each gear, and. pawls connected withthe operating lever and adapted to engage the ratchet wheels, andpositively move the carriage and pipe in either direction, substantiallyset forth.

2. The combination with a base provided with standards, a carriagemovable on said base, said carriage provided with two rows of rackteeth, and means for clamping a pipe to said carriage, of a transverseshaft mounted in the standards of the base, pinions on said shaft andmeshing with the rack teeth on the carriage, two pairs of ratchet wheelson said shaft and rotatable with said pinions, a lever mounted on theshaft between the pairs of ratchet wheels, and two sets of dogscooperating with the ratchet wheels of the respective pairs, and all ofsaid dogs disposed to be operable by said lever to turnthe pinions inone direction or the other.

3. The combination with a base, a carriage movable thereon, means forsecuring a pipe to said carriage, and means for moving the carriage,ofan arched back brace, and means connecting said arched back brace withthe base.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

MORRIS H. KEELER.

VVit-nesses J. C. LIcn'rY, Rom. Bnnssmccn.

